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Now you know something about how to identify and distinguish ragas. But there is another, subtle, aspect of ragas: how they evoke emotion. This is called the "rasa" or "rasam" - literally the "essence" of the raga.

There are a number of rasas corresponding to various ragas. Below is a table of ragas that are associated with different rasas. Keep in mind that a single raga can evoke diverse feelings.

Aside from these rasas, there is "bhakthi rasa," the feeling of devotion. Many ragas invoke this, most notably the ragas used in the Vedas and slokas, like kharaharapriyaa and rEvati.

Some types of songs also go with certain ragas. Lullabies typically use ragas like neelaambari or navrOj, among others. Mangalams and finishing songs use madyamaavati.

Finally, different composers may use various ragas to evoke emotions other than what is assigned to that raga. So, you may find a laali in madyamaavati, a sad song in hamsadwani. The composers define the music, so the raga itself may be adapted to the feeling that seems to suit the song!